DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjmcr.2025.v13i04.020

Pages: 653-655

Methicillin resistant- coagulase negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS) associated infection is a mounting concern in healthcare settings now a day. MR-CoNS are one of the main infectious agents of the hospital acquired infection (HAI). Increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance against available antibiotics of MR-CoNS is a developing issue in low income or lower middle income countries. Aim: The aim of this study was to know the prevalence of MR-CoNS in blood stream infection (BSI) among patients attending a tertiary care cancer center using phenotypic and genotypic methods. Materials & Methods: This retrospective study was conducted over a period of 12 months (Year 2022-2023) in patients with BSI caused by Gram Positive Cocci (GPC). Screening of MR-CoNS from direct blood culture bottle was done by real time PCR targeting Spa and MecA gene. Identification and Methicillin resistance pattern was checked by Vitek-2 automated system. Results: A total of 180 blood culture positive samples were investigated of which n= 76 were MR-CoNS, n=13 were MRSA, n= 18 were MSSA and n= 73 were Non Staphylococcus sp. Among n=76 MR-CoNS (36.33%) S. haemolyticus, (30.26%) S. epidermidis, (23.68%) S. hominis, (3.94%) S. warneri, (2.63%) S. saprophyticus, (1.31%) S. arlettae, (1.31%) S. cohnii were reported. Conclusion: The occurrence rate of MR-CoNS was highest (42.22%) among the BSI with GPC. Most of the Methicillin Resistant-CoNS isolates showed high level of resistance against widely used antibiotics but all the isolates susceptible against vancomycin. Moreover, the in house developed real time PCR targeting Spa and MecA gene came out as a reliable and rapid molecular screening tool for the differentiation of MRSA, MSSA, MR-CoNS and Non staphylococcus species among GPC from direct blood culture bottle.